Often Ultra-Violet (UV) light is used to remove unwanted organic material, such as viruses, bacteria and other bio-aerosols, from air or water. In the applicant's previously filed U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/822,886 (hereby incorporated herein by reference), an air purifier is described that uses UV light. Contaminated air enters such a device and is subject to UV light from one or more lamp sources. The air that leaves such a device is significantly reduced in unwanted organic material.
To increase efficiency, the UV produced by the sources within the air purifier is preferably not absorbed by the inner surfaces but, rather, is reflected. Often inner surfaces of such air purifiers are made of aluminum to provide a suitable amount of UV reflection. However, it is known in UV air purifiers that, as a consequence of the actions of the purifier, organic deposits (or films) may be formed on various surfaces within the purifier, including the UV light reflective surfaces. Such air purifiers rely on those surfaces to maintain high reflectance for maximum efficacy. Normally however, as the organic deposits build up, the reflectance of these surfaces is reduced.
Traditionally, the build up of organic deposits has not been a concern of those who own and operate air purification devices of the type described above. However, where such a build up is enough to reduce the reflectance of the inner surfaces and thereby the efficacy of the filter, is becomes clear that a need exists for a surface that can maintain high reflectance in a UV purifying environment for a longer period of time than provided by typical surfaces.